Canadian Aviatrix #85 – Lillian Rashaw (born 1921)

Lillian Rashaw was born around 1921. She joined the Sudbury Flying Club and by 1940 was working as their secretary.

On 7 April 1941, Lillian passed her flying test and received her PPL, making her the 85th female pilot in Canada. She was 20 years old.

In December, she was flying one of the club planes when it was “forced down for reasons not known” and crashed. Lillian had two teeth knocked out and some cuts on her face. Her passenger was a fur trader called Charles Racicot and he made moccasins out of his coat sleeves to protect Lillian’s feet from the cold as they walked for help.

Lillian is listed as a trainee with the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs). She was in class 44-W-3, training from October 1943 to April 1944. There were 96 women in the class, but Lillian was one of 39 that didn’t graduate.

And sadly, that’s where the trail ends. I’ll keep looking though!

Note: Lillian was listed with an asterisk in No Place for a Lady – meaning the author hadn’t been able to find her.